Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-07-25


"He was the grandest looking man you ever
saw. He was six feet one inch in height, with
a full chest and big frame. His nose was
the worst part Of his face. It was large,
Tick, and so turned up that the nostrils APP
pcared very large. He had fine eyes and
clear ringing voice. He was the best speaker
we have ever had in Indiana, and he brought
hearers who would go TO no meetings but
those at which he was to speak. He had
curious form of paralysis some years before
his death and he appeared in the United
States senate on crutches He was paralyzed
at the waist, but his limbs above and below
acted perfectly. This paralysis came from
overwork and it remained with him to his
death. 1t was said that he was in great pain,
but this was a mistake"
"What kind Of a man was Schuyler Col
fax9" na .rs
"He was a man Of considerable ability, but
no was by no means as great as Morton. He
was a good mixer, and in that respect was
just the opposite Of Dave Turpie, the man
who was this year elected to the United
Ctates senate. Turpie is nervous, difident
and backward He would rather run away
from a stranger than accost him. Turpie and
Colfax once made tour Of the state togeth-
er, holding debates at the leading towns.
Turpie's strong hold is in invective. He can
be more abusive and say more cutting things
than any man in Indiana. He is employed as
a lawyer often when his counsel wish him to
cut up the parties on the opposite side Of the
case, and he will be the ingalls, Of the Demo-
>cratic side Of the chamber. During his cam
paign with Colfax he abused Colfax terribly,
and Colfax would listen quietly while he
made his speeches. When he was through
Colfax would reply in the quietest manner,
saying only complimentary things of Tur
pie or making his speech impersonal.
At the close of the meeting Colfax would
jump down among the audience and go to
shaking hands and kissing babies, while Tur-
Pic would slip off by the quietest way to his
hotel and shut himself up in his room"
as Turpie a man Of much abilitys"
eyes; he is a good lawyer, and he knows
the law, too. He has wonderful memory,
and his head is filled with information re-
member one time when he was very sick. 1t
was during the Franco Prussian war, and the
navy had not come as strongly to the support
of the French government as it should have
done. l spoke Of this to Turpie, and he re-
piled that it was not strange, as this had been
the history of the navy in the past He then
went on and recited precedent after prece-
dent, giving names and dates and covering
long period Of time. was much surprised,
for didn't suppose that Turpie had done any
reading on this subject for dozen years.
That night I determined to see if his state
ments were correct. I took down my his
tories and encyclopedias and looked up the
matter from notes which had jotted down
during his conversation. He was right to
the very name and date.
~
"IIe is q curious fellow, this Dave Turp ie,n
my friend went on. 81 have known him for
years and have been closely associated with
linn for two decades. He will often pass YOU
without noticing you on the street, and il
three OF his friends were standing in COM
pany with one man he did not like he would
never stop to chat He has great abhor-
renee of vulgarity, and if a vulgar story is
told in any company in which he happens to
be he will get up and dart off like shot He is
man of extremes; he either likes d man or
he don't like him, and if he don't like him be
don't want to have anything to do with him
lie is Bourbon of Bourbons in his Demo
cratic ro'itics. He believes all the good to
20 i'll his party and does not think a great
amount exists in the Republican party. He
vas in the senate, you know, once before.
This was along in the war times of the COS. and
10 was elected for thirty days to fill an unex-
bred term He made during this time a vio-
lent anti-war speech, and if he gets to the Sem
ate-for you know there is some question
about his election-he will make some
speeches which will go ringing around the
country"
as lie hard STUDENT"
eyes, think he reads a good deal. and
everything he reads seems to stick to him.
He has curious habits of reading. He be-
comes absorbed in his book, and the moment
he reaches point which be wishes to fix in
his mind he puts his book down and begins
to walk up and down the floor with his head
bent over. In few moments he will again
take up his book, but after such time YOU
an never dislodge the thought he has been
lying to fix from his memory He is great
elbow to become absorbed in his reading.
lie has often come into my room of an even.
ng and, merely saying good night, taken up
: book sat down and read for whole even
ng without speaking a word. l have often
cone to bed and left him reading When he
;ot through he would turn out the light and
30 away as quickly as he came He is fond
Of music, and have seen him absorbed for q
whole evening by some one singing or play
ing. He likes whist and is a pretty fair
player, though be grows testy when the luck
turns against him for any length of time.n
"ls he man of any meansp
Judge Turpie Is WORTH" said this gentle
man, "about S75, 900. He made this in land
speculation i'll northern Indiana some wears
ago. lie Is not money maker, nor is he
much OF money spender as a rule. He
'iresses very plainly, and his office furniture
Ill told, would pot bring $50 at auction. He
does not care much for his personal appear.
ance, and he wastes very little time before
The looking glass. He has been married twice
and is now widower"
DO you think he will get his seat"
"As to that you know as much as do We
republicans claim that the circumstances of
his election were such that he is not legally
entitled to it. The Democrats, on the Other
hand, say that be has been legally elected anG
that he cannot be ousted. The Republicans
claim that in case his seat is not given him
the Democratic governor by our indiana :.
law cannot appoint, and that we can have No
senator until the legislature again meets two
years hence. If the Legislature is Democratic
at that time, believe that Governor GRAY
will be elected
49,
what is to become of Senator Harrison,n
well, he is now practicing law here in
indianapolis. He has a good practice, a com.
.ortable home, and he is worth about $50. 600
lie has made his own money and he is much
thought of here. In case be doos NOT o,at m